Product Design for 15 - 17 Year Olds

Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week

This course is a series of practical workshops that'll introduce you to product design and innovation, from idea to manufacture.

Secure your place with a deposit

If you're booking two months or more before the course starts, we can accept a £100 deposit to secure your place.

The balance is due one month before the course starts.

Course Description

You'll develop your design and interpersonal skills and consider new ways of thinking and better team building – essential tools for successful product design.

Several small projects will be completed as individuals and in teams throughout the week, developing your skills as a designer in a variety of different fields.

On this course you will:

• explore how to develop your innovation skills and provide solutions to design problems
• investigate how to create new concepts that appeal to audiences that might have differing needs and abilities
• undertake quick and practical workshops in sketching and presentation techniques
• identify ways in which new products can best be positioned in the busy market place, and how you can develop an effective branding and marketing strategy
• model development using everyday materials to convey simple design ideas
• build team spirit and refresh your creative thinking skills.

The course will include the following key activities:

• sketching and rendering
• CAD design and model making
• design and manufacture using obscure materials
• presentation techniques
• design futures (conceptual design and future design technologies)
• design theory, design analysis and deconstruction, and real world applications
• design processes and product analysis.

What will you gain?

This course is ideal if you plan on becoming a product designer in the future.

It's ideal if you are interested in working on projects that will strengthen your portfolio and which demonstrates new approaches in your work.

The ideal attendee will be ideas and solution-driven, open to new ways of working, thinking and able to work with others in a positive way.

Level: Open to all

Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for design, making and materials, and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.

Where you'll learn: You will be based in the School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment on the City Campus.

You’ll find collaborative working spaces where you develop your sketches and concepts, and IT suites equipped with industry standard software including Adobe Creative Cloud and AutoCAD.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

Here's what our previous attendees said:

"I enjoyed the variety of projects, the freedom to be creative and the sessions on drawing." RB

"I enjoyed that we could be so hands-on and creative. All of the sessions were well organised and very fun." CS

"I enjoyed making things out of weird materials." SP

Tutor profiles:

Luke Siena is a Lecturer in Product Design at Nottingham Trent University, who delivers technology-based modules and content to undergraduate and Masters-level students in a variety of subject fields.

He undertook his first degree at Nottingham Trent University in Computer Aided Product Design which was followed on with an MSc Smart Design and a Professional Research Practice.

Luke most recently completed his PhD focused on implementing smart materials and technologies for medical emergency airway access devices.

His specialisms have allowed him to work in a range of areas including product design, medical design, smart technologies, engineering and design technology amongst others, acquiring a practical and multi-dimensional skills set which contributed to winning a PepsiCo Design Competition.

Hannah Manley graduated from NTU with BA (Hons) Product Design before continuing her studies in MSc Design: Products and Technology.

Coming from a BA background, Hannah has developed her graphics skills, presentation, and creative thinking and combined it with the analytical, problem-solving skills needed for medical-based products which she now pursues.

Her work revolves around user-centred design, including toy design and designing for accessibility.

With experience in large-scale furniture production, mass-manufacture homeware and bespoke furnishing design, Hannah has a mix of skills in CAD and hands-on design which are demanded by industry today.

Daisy Pope is a product design lecturer at NTU; with an interest in design empathy and inclusive design, having graduated from NTU with BA Hons and MSc in Product Design.

Daisy is also the founder of Design Enabled, where she is interested in product design that changes the way people think and how they live, creating products that will have an impact and improve on everyday life.

Need accommodation?

You can book a self-catered, single room with private bathroom on our city campus, right next door to our studios and classrooms.

If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.

If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian. 

Find out more at: www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation

Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?

This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.

DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.

Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?

If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees.

You might be interested in:

3D Design Technologies for 15 – 17 Year Olds

Car Design for 15 – 17 Year Olds

Any questions?

Contact the short course team:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813